Mater



No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

G. H. REYNOLDS.

GUT-OFP VALVE.

1 No. 310,318. Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

Wg'llwgg A- -Ilwcnorr- @Maw (No Model.)

2 Sheets-Sheet; 2.

G. H. REYNOLDS.

GUT-OFF VALVE.

Patented Jan. 6, 1885.

Witnesses M... mm1/m4.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICEo GEORGE H. REYNOLDS, OF NE\V YORK, N. Y., ASSIGNOR OF ONIIHALF TO CORNELIUS H. DELAMATER, GEORGE H. ROBINSON, AND VILLIAM DELA- MATER, ALL OF SAME PLAGE.

CUT-OFF VALVE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 310,318, dated January 6, 1885. y

To @ZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE H. REvNoLns,

of the city and county of New York, in the State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Cut-Off Valves for Engines, of which the following is a specification.

My invention is applicable more partielllarly to Vertical engines, but may also be emio bodied in horizontal or other engines.

My invention relates to engines in which are employed a box-like or hollow main slidevalve having an open-ended slideway extending through it and main steam-ports opening into the slideway and 'a piston cut-oft' valve working in said slideway in a direction parallel with the movement of the main valve and serving to control. the said main steam-ports.

One object of my invention is to provide for balancing such a main slide-valve; and it consists in the combination, with a box-like main slide-valve and cut-off valve constructed and operating as above described, of a saddle or balancing plate within and under which the main valve works, and which has its bearing on the port-face or valve-seat of the engine-cylinder, as more fully hereinafter described.

Vhere an engine is provided with an ordinary slide-valve cnt-ofi', the two plates which constitute the cut-off valve are fitted with a right and left hand screw, by which they may be adjusted to shorten the length of the cutoff valve when the engine is to be started nnl der a load; and a further object of my invention is to neutralize the effect of the abovedescribed cut-ofi valve in starting the engine, the said cut-off valve being of iixed length. To accomplish this result, I form through the 4o back of the main valve small ports,`which are uncontrolled by the cut-ofi valve and are in constant communication with the main steamports of the main slide-valve; and I provide ports or passages in the saddle or balancing plate and a valve adjustable by hand to control the admission of steam to these passages in the saddle or balancing plate, and thence Application tiled July P, 18S-1. (No model.)

through the small and main ports in the main valve. In the ordinary operation of the engine the hand-valve is closed, so that the saddle or balancing plate is, in effect, solid and without steam passages, and the aforesaid small ports in the main valve pass under and are closed bythe saddle or balancing plate before the steam is cut off by the oppositelymoving cut-off valve. In starting the engine the aforesaid hand-valve is opened, thereby `admitting steam from the chest into the passages in the saddle or balancing plate, and bei'ore the cut-ofi valve is moved to cnt offsteam from the main ports in the main valve the small ports in the main valve are by its movement brought into coincidence with the passages of the saddle or balancing plate, and steam is thereby admitted to the main ports of the main valve after said ports have been closed by the cut-ofi valve.

Ihe several features of my invention are hereinafter described in detail, and pointed out in the claims.

In the accompanying drawings Iliave represented only such parts of an upright engine as are necessary to illustrate my invention. Figure l is a vertical section of the cylinder, steam-chest, valves, and saddle or balancing plate. Fig. 2 is a horizontal section of the steam-chest, valves, and saddle on the plane of the dotted line a" m, Fig. l; and Fig. 3 is a similar section on the plane of the dotted line y x, Fig. 1.A

Similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts in all the figures. y

A designates the cylinder, and B the piston, which may be of any suitable construction, and B designates the piston-rod.

C designates the steam-chest, which in this example of my invention is cast with the cylinder and is closed by a cover, C. At the side of the chest is the steam-inlet a.

D designates the valve-seat or port-face, con- 9o structed with ports and passages b b', leading to opposite ends oi' the cylinder, and an intermediate exhaust port or passage, c, which, as shown, communicates with a belt, At, around y the cylinder. The section, Fig. 2, is taken through the exhaust-port and belt; but the belt does not appear at the left hand of Fin'. il, as the cylinder is supposed to be east integral with an exhaust-chest on that side, "in which may be arranged a worm or coil for heating feed-water. This chest and coil form no part of my invention, and are not shown. The main valve E is a box-like hollow structure sliding upon the seat l), and constructed with an exhaust cove or cavity, d, and main ports e c', and through it extends a slideway, E, open at the ends, and a hollow cross-piece o r stretcher, j', which receives the main valvestem through it. The valve is secured on the stem by nuts y, or other suitable means.

F designates the eut-oft' valve, here shown as a eylindric piston-valve secured upon a stem, F, by nuts g', or other suitable means, and iltted to the slideway E in the main valve E. The valve-stems Ei F work through stuffing-boxes and guides g3 at opposite ends of the chest C, and are to be operated by separate eccentrics, which are not here shown, as they are the most common means employed to opera-te main and cut-eff slide-valves, and are well. understood. rlhe main valve E is constructed with transverse partitions, which are shown by dotted lines :l: in Fig. l, and the slideway E for the cut-off valve F is 'formed in a hollow cross-bar or stretcher extending between the said partitions. The cut-off valve is of much smaller transverse dimensions than the main valve E, and the ports c c therefore intercept the said slideway and take steam freely through the open ends of the slideway when not closed by the movement of the cutoff valve F past one or other of them. rlhe main valve E is arranged to work under and within a balancing plate or saddle, G. The back of the main valve is made to fit steamtight under or against the inner surface of the saddle G, and the side portions of the saddle bear upon Vthe valve-seat D on both sides of the main valve, as best shown in Figs. 2 and 8. rlhe pressure of steam on the saddle G keeps it up toits seat, and also maintains a steam-tight joint, without material pressure, between the main valve and saddle, thereby balancing said main valve.

The operation of the parts above described will be readily understood. The piston being at the top of its stroke, the main valve, by its downward movement, uncovers the port b by bringing the valve-port e opposite the seat-port I) but at the same time the valve F is moved upward to cover the port c, thereby cutting ofi? steam before the piston B has completed its downward stroke. Vhen the piston B is at the lower end of its stroke, the reverse operation takes place, cutting off the supply of steam to the valve-port e.

l will now describe how the cutting-off ac tion of the valve F is rendered of no effect when it is desired to follow more nearly -:full

stroke in order to start the engine. In the back of the main valve E are small ports h h, which coincide with the main valve-ports c e, and inasmuch as the slideway E is entirely intercepted by said ports c c', it will be understood that steam entering the ports h or hf, even when the cut-off valve has moved far enough to cover the ports e or c', will pass around the cut-oflvalve and into the port or passage cor c.

In the saddle C is a steam-inlet, i, bifurcated to forni two passages, jj, and controlled by a small valve, 7,1, which is swiveled to a valvestem, Yr', extending through the chest-cover (Y, and provided at the end with a handle, it', for turning it.

l'lf designates a plug or bonnet screwed into the cover C, and formed with a packing or stulling box, It, and a nut, 73k, which receives the stem 7.", and to which is fitted a male screwth read :i: on the stem 7.1. Therefore, to open the valve '1.1, it is only necessary to turn the stem 7,1 by hand at the exterior of the chest C. .During the ordinary operation of the engine the hand-valve 7s is closed, as shown in the drawings, and inasmuch as the saddle then forms in effect a solid surface under which the valve works, the small ports 7L hf will be coveredy 'by the saddle before steam is ent off bythe valve F, and the said valve will then be (.il'ective in cutting off.

To start theV engine the hand valve is opened and admits steam to the passages jj. Then the port 71.. or 7L comes opposite the passage y' or j before the valve F cuts oil' steam, and there remains vuntil the valve E commences its return movement, and hence the effect of the valve F is neutralized and cutting off'is not effected. After starting the engine the valve 7; is closed, and thereafter the valve F becomes effective to cut off steam before the completion of the piston-stroke.

Vhat I claim as my invention, and desi rc to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The combination, with the hollow boxlike main valve E, having the slideway Ff, cavity d, and main ports e c', opening into or intercepting the slideway, of the cylindric eutoff valve F, working in said slideway to control the ports e c', and the saddle or balancing plate G, supported upon the port-face or valveseat, and within and under which the main valve works, substantially as and for the purpose herein described.

2. The combination, with the main slidevalve and the eut-off valve working within it, and serving to control the main steam-ports ol.' said main valve, the main valve being pro- .Y vided in its back with ports which are in direct communication with said main steamports of the main valve, and uncontrolled by the said eut-olf valve, of a saddle or balancing plate fitted to the main valve, and constructed with passages for supplying steam to said small ports in the main valve, and a valve 'for controlling the admission of steam to the IIO passages in said saddle or balancing plate, substeam-inlet z', and the hand-valve liv, controlling stantially as Aand for the purpose herein dcthe inlet z, and capable of operation, subsbauio scribed. tially as and foi` the purpose herein described.

3. The combination of the chest C the boxi T like main valve E, constructed with ache slide- GEO H' REYA OLDS' way E, main steam-ports e e', and small ports h hf, the cut-off valve F, the balancing saddle or plate G, constructed with passages jj and Vitnesses:

FREDK. HAYNEs, MATTHEW PoLLocK. 

